Apparatus for treating peat



May 16, 1950 w. c. ASL ESEN APPARATUS FOR TREATING FEAT Filed Sept. 2, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1950 w. c. AsLEsEN 2,507,492

APPARATUS FOR TREATING FEAT Filed Sept. 2, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 16, 1950 UN [Ti-ED STAT ES PAT GFiFZI C-IE 2507,4532 APPARATUS non TREATING BEAT William' G. 'Aslesen, Minneapolis, -Miim. Application September 2, 1947, Serial No. 1771,8115

l'Claim. x1

This invjention'relates :tc.a;metho.d .andappara- .tus for handling or treating kpeat. Peat .occurs in large deposits in -.certain,par.ts .of theUnited States, particularlyin the Northwestern States. While raw peat-is combustible, thesame contains a great deal of moisture and does not makein its raw state a practical fuel. With the present high price of coalheatriow has great potentiali- .ties .as .a fuel if Litv can be properly and cheaply prepared.

It .is an object of .this invention to provide a method and apparatus Joy which raw peat can be treated .so .as to inake a satisfactory ifuel at a very reasonable expense.

It is .a further. obiecit '.of the invention to provide an apparatus ill-Which the poet is reduced .or broken .up together with the cells thereof, the moisture largely removed and the peat compacted.

It is also an objectof the inyen'tion to provide amethod by which peat canbe reduced or broken through :a discharge opening so that "said lat- =ter opening :is sealed, together-with :means :for exhausting air from zsai'dzsecond chamber sothat due to said sealed openings :a partial vacuum man be maintained in second chamber.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an apparatus "for reducing, dehydrating and compacting peat in which said peait discharged through an operii'ng having a shaft :or similar member-disposed centrally in said opening so that said pea t is extruded through said opening around said Shaft and thus has "a passage extending 'there'through.

These and other object and advantages of the invention will be 'iully s'et'forth in the following description 'made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer 'to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. l is a View mostly in central vertical section andpartly -inside elevation illustrating the apparatus .ofthis invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on line i2--2 of Fig. 1, as indicated by "the arrows; and

Fig. .3 is a vertical section taken substantially on line .33 of Big. 1,..as indicatedby the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, an apparatus comprising .a frame .10 is shown. Supported on frame it is.a casing ill. .Fr'am'er lil has an upper portion llla on which'issuppor'ted an upper ,portion Ila of the casing, said portion Lila comprising a lower semi-cylindrical portion --H b and an upper portion .l'lc. iAsshowniinFigslliand .2, portion He has sides flaring upwardly and -is open at its bottom. Extending axially'lthrough .a portion 1 I1) is .a shaft 1 2 which is supported .at its ends in bearings 13 and l d respectively. Bearing 13 will be secured .to the wallsof .cas'ing l] and bearing Misiin the form nfabracket having a base flange secured to ,porltion .I-flaib'y bolts '15. Secured to shaft I2 is a seriesiof .circumferentially spaced blades Hi. Blades .l'ilhave hubs secured to shaftJZ and said bladesare helioally arranged on shaft l2 and are disposed at an angle so (that in the rotation of shaft 12 they tend to move the material in portion lLlb toward the right, as seen in Fig. .1. .Shaft 1.2 will the driven from some suitable source .of ,power, such .as .a suitable motor not shown Portion Jllb has -a .discharge end comprising .a irustoconical portion I la which extends to a smaller .frustocon'ical portion .He having .a centraldischarge opening Hf. Casing ll comprises .aseco'nii portion Hg having a. chamber "I 1h therein. Chamber Hh receives material discharged through opening H 3. The upper jparlt of portion 'Hg is semicircular, .as shown in .Fig. {3, ia'sis also thelower portion thereof, Said upperandlower parts of portion Hg areconnected l by vertical parallel walls of short extent. Said-upper portion is open .or constitutes a rather large space. Below the lower part of portion lLlLg is =a semil-cylindrical trough l lihaving Vertical side walls which merge into the walls of. the flowerpart of portion Hg. Extending through the lower partof portion I19 and through the .lowenpaft. of chamber. I I h below said upper portion or spacev and .coaxiallly of said lower part is a shaft 18. Shaft 18 issupported at its ends in bearings 1.9 and LI! respectively forming par-tor irarnelfl. Shaft 'IBJis extended beyond .portion llg and has secured thereto adiacent one .end a sprocket l2.0.' A chain f2l runs over sprocket 216 and over sprocket 22 secured to shaft 12. Shaft l8 can lthusjbe driven fromshaft l2. Within the lower part ofchamber l lg, shaft !8 has secured thereto .a series oiblades 24 having hubs secured toshait l8. Bladesll .are arranged in ciroumferentiallyspaced relation and will be arranged helically on ;.shaft 118 and disposed at an angle so that in the rotation of shaft It said blades will have a tendency to move material to the right, as seen in Fig. 1. A shaft 25 extends longitudinally through trough Hz substantially coaxial with the semi-cylindrical portion thereof. Shaft 25 is supported in a bearing formed in frame H3 and is supported in another bearing 26 supported by a rod 210'. depending from a portion of the casing portion l lg. Shaft 25 has secured thereto a helical or screw conveyor 28 which extends throughout the major portion of trough Hi. Trough N22 has a cylindrical portion extending some distance beyond the end wall of easing portion Hg. This cylindrical portion of trough Hi has a frustoconical discharge portion H9" from which extends a cylindrical portion ilk having an open discharge end. The end of shaft 25 is somewhat reduced and is disposed axially of por tions H7 and Hit. An endless conveyor 29 of the belt type has its end portion disposed below the discharge end of portion ilk. Shaft 25 extends beyond casing H and has secured thereto a sprocket 3| over which runs a chain 32 also running over a sprocket 33 secured to shaft 18. Shaft 25 can thus be driven through chain 32 from shaft I8. A fan or blower 34 is supported upon a portion of frame in and is shown as secured thereto by bolts 35. The intake end of blower as is connected by a conduit 36 to the upper portion of chamber Hg. A valve 31, preferably of the gate type, is disposed in the upper horizontal portion of conduit 36. Valve 31 is provided with the usual operating handle or hand wheel 31a. Blower 34 has secured to the shaft 38 thereof a pulley 39 which will be driven by a suitable belt from a convenient motor.

In carrying out the method of the invention in the apparatus above described, the raw peat is delivered into upper portion Ho and drops into the portion Hb. Shaft l2 and blades [6 will be rotated and the peat will be reduced or broken up so that the cells thereof are broken. After the peat has thus been operated upon by the blades Or beaters it, the same is moved to the right-hand end of portion ilb, as seen in Fig. 1, and is forced through the portion He and through opening ii The opening Hf is substantially closed by the peat passing therethrough so that said opening is substantially sealed against passage of air. The peat passing through opening Hg drops to the lower part of chamber H g where it again is reduced and further broken up and the cells thereof broken by the blades or beaters 2d. The peat is moved to the right, as seen in Fig. 1, and the same drops down into trough iii and as shaft 25 and conveyor 28 are being rotated the peat which is now well reduced and broken up is moved to the right in trough Hz, as shown in Fig. 1, and is forced through portion H70 and through the discharge opening thereof. The peat which thus is extruded through portion Hk in a very compacted form drops onto conveyor 29 and is carried thereon to a suitable and desired point. Conveyor 29 moves in a direction indicated by the arrow in Fig.1. ,Since shaft 25 is disposed centrally of portion ilk, the peat being extruded passes around said shaft and a hole or passage is formed in the discharged peat. The peat is thus formed into a stick having a central passage therein. In practice this stick has been about six inches in diameter. While the peat is being acted upon in chamber I lg, blower 34 is operated and air is constantly withdrawn from chamber Hg so that a partial "vacuum is maintained therein. The degree of vacuum can be regulated by adjustment of valve 3'! and by variation in the speed of blower 34. It is desirable that the chamber Hg be sealed against the entrance of air and the restricted openings Hf and that in portion I lit are sealed by the peat moving therethrough. With this provision of sealing said openings a continuous process can be carried on. This is a great advantage and makes a really practical and commercial process. In the patent to Hindshaw, No. 1,334,492, granted March 23, 1920, an attempt was made to withdraw air from the compressed peat in a partial vacuum but no operative means were provided to seal the chamber from which the air was withdrawn. The same was true in the apparatus shown in the Patent No. 1,486,141 granted March 11, 1924. With the feeding member 4 disclosed therein it was impossible to maintain a vacuum in chamber 2. Applicant by first breaking up and reducing the peat in portion lib brings the peat into finely divided condition and converts the same into a moist semi-fluid mass which can be forced through the restricted opening Hf so as to keep said opening sealed. The peat in the cylindrical end of trough Hi and that passing through the portion lik: also effectively seals the discharge opening through portion H k. Moisture and air can thus be continuously drawn off of the peat being treated in chamber I lh. Heat can be applied to chamber ii if desired.

Peat in its natural state as dug from the ground consists of a spongy moist mass. The structure of the peat comprises a plurality of elongated cells. It is necessary to break up these cells or a great majority of them if the moisture and air contained in the peat is to be effectively removed. After being treated by applicants method and apparatus a large proportion of the moisture and the air in the peat cells has been removed. The moisture and air are further pressed out by being forced through the restricted openings and the peat discharged through portion ilk is in very compacted form. This large stick of treated peat which looks very much like a large stick of licorice is placed on racks and soon dries into a hard form. The peat so dried will not again absorb moisture. The pectin contained in the raw peat is supposed to be changed to anhydrous pectose. Even though the dried peat is kept submerged in water it will not again absorb any appreciable amount of moisture. The dried stick of peat can be formed into convenient lengths and makes a very desirable fuel. Practically all of the air, gases and moisture in the peat cells, as above stated, have been removed. The peat therefore has not enough remaining water to render it objectionable as a fuel. Peat contains considerable oxygen and the oxygen combined therein aids combustion. The dried peat burns with practically no ash.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a much improved and very practical method and apparatus for reducing, dehydrating and compacting peat. The method and apparatus have been demonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful and efiicient.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the apparatus and in the steps and sequence of steps of the method without departing from the scope of applicant's invention, which, generally stated, consists in a method and apparatus capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, such as disclosed and defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A peat-treating apparatus having in combination, a chamber to which raw peat is delivered, a rotatable shaft in said casing, blades on said shaft arranged in circumferentially spaced helical relation for breaking up said peat and the cells thereof and advancing said peat in said chamber, said chamber having a discharge passage spaced from one end of said shaft and blades and coaxial with said shaft, said discharge passage comprising a restricted passage having walls converging to its discharge end through which said peat is forced by said blades so that said peat seals said passage and opening, a second enclosed chamber to which said peat is delivered through said passage, said second chamber having a large unobstructed upper portion, rotating means in the lower portion of said second chamber for further breaking up said peat and the cells thereof and advancing said peat, and a discharge passage adjacent the bottom REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 506,151 Blunden Oct. 3, 1893 1,334,492 I-Iindshaw Mar. 23, 1920 1,987,359 Brown Jan. 8, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 664,650 Germany Sept. 15, 1938 

